Netanel Frankenthal

02-653-6447

Note: this is a rough draft, written during the weee hours of the morning. I hope it is of use and free of mistakes. Your feedback is welcome – feedback will let me know if to continue making these pamphlets on other topics.

In the time of the Temple (Beis Hamikdash) on the eve of the 16 of Nissan (the night after the night of the seder) we had a Biblical Mitzvah to Harvest the first harvest, which was brought the following morning. The volume of the offering brought was an omer עומר or .1 of an eifahאיפה . The Torah commands us to count 7 weeks from this first harvest until the festival of Shavuot. This counting is called the counting of the omer – since it commences with the harvest of the omer. Nowadays that we don't have the biblical commandment to harvest the omer, we also don't have the Biblical commandment to count the days and weeks. Our sages, however, instituted a Rabinic Mitzvah, to count the days and weeks, just as we had in the days of the Temple.

We count the days and the weeks. The first night we say tonight is one night in the counting of the omer. Starting with the seventh night we say today is 7 days that equal one week in the counting of the omer. On the eight night we say today is 8 days that equal one week and one day in the counting of the omer on the fourteenth night we would say today is 14 days that equal two weeks in the counting of the omer etc.

At night following the Ma'riv prayer (starting with the night after the seder) the chazzan (or Rabbi) makes a blessing out loud and counts the counting (in Hebrew). After that, all congregants also make the blessing and count.

One may count with a blessing – only if one is counting at night. If one forgot to count at night, he should count in the day, without a blessing. If one forgot to count at night, and didn’t make it up by day, he may no longer count with a blessing. He should still count all of the remaining nights, but he can no longer make the blessing on the counting. The Mitzvah is to have a whole counting of 49 days, and he will not have that.

If one is in doubt as to whether or not he missed a night, he may continue to count with a blessing.

One should make the blessing and count while standing.

Once nighttime has settled in, one is obligated to count. If one were to tell his friend – tonight is such and such nights into the omer, one has in effect counted that night and fulfilled his obligation. As such, one would no longer be able to make the blessing on counting that night, because he has fulfilled his obligation already. As such, people are careful not to say what that night's counting is, prior to having counted themselves. Rather, peoples say: last night was such and such.

One should know what one is going to count prior to making the blessing. (not to make the blessing and only then ask around or wait to hear what someone else said).

During this period thousands of Rabbi Akiva's disciples died. We remember the passing of those thousands of sages by applying laws of mourning during this time. There are 2 different customs as to when this applies. Some apply it from after Pesach till Lag Ba'omer. Others apply it from Rosh Chodesh Iyar till 3 days into Sivan.

Laws of Mourning that apply:

We do not get married during this time

We don't take haircuts (today it has become accepted not to shave, if one needs a leniency for work, an interview, or some other need see your local orthodox Rabbi)

B"H there will be a fuller overview of the laws of mourning that apply at a later date.